


His Very Favorite Sanada (The Second One Is Okay, Too)

by Lumeleo



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Alpha Sanada Genichirou, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Getting Together, Kid Fic, M/M, Omega Atobe Keigo, Parenthood, Past Relationship(s), Teenage Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-09-30 14:59:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17226170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumeleo/pseuds/Lumeleo
Summary: People who think all omegas are naturally good with children are sexist idiots. Turns out Atobe's pretty great with Sanada's son, though.He's also pretty great with Sanada, given the chance, but obviously that's less important.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Growing Up (Growing Fast)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15020816) by [Lumeleo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumeleo/pseuds/Lumeleo). 



> This is basically an extended version of another fic of mine, [Growing Up (Growing Fast)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15020816), but there are some differences so I chose not to put them in the same series.

As much as Atobe enjoyed attention, there was something to be said for being surrounded by people who didn’t know him.

That was more or less his motivation for coming to this little local festival out of his way. There were people and noise and various stalls, yet the only reason he might get attention was for his appearance. Blending into a crowd wasn’t something he got to do often, so he was going to enjoy the opportunity to the best of his ability.

As it happened, though, he was suddenly distracted by the sight of a lonely child.

There were plenty of children running around, but most of them were accompanied by either friends or parents. This one was not only all alone, but looked definitely too young to be wandering off. On top of that, he was glancing around with wide eyes, looking very much lost.

Well. He wasn’t going to just stand by and let a kid get lost even more. After all, herding helpless creatures was very much what he did.

“Hi there, little one.” Atobe crouched down to get on eye level with the child. “Are you lost?”

Apparently this was the wrong thing to say, since the big eyes started filling with tears. The next moment there was heartbroken wail as though he had only just reminded the child of his predicament. Well. People who thought all omegas were naturally good with children were sexist idiots, anyway.

Even so, he couldn’t exactly leave the child screaming like that. Sighing, he reached out to touch a little shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry. Are you here with your mommy? Your daddy?”

At that the wailing turned into little sobs, still utterly miserable but at least somewhat more conducive to actual communication. “P-papa?”

“Right, you’re here with your papa. Where did you see him last?”

The kid sniffled, rubbing at his teary eyes. “Don't... don't know…” His lower lip was trembling, warning Atobe that there would be another burst coming if he didn’t act fast.

“Well, in that case it would probably be for the best to find one spot and stay there.” Taking a closer look at the child, he noticed a bit of pink fluff smeared on the little collar. “Ah. Did your papa get you cotton candy?”

This earned him a little nod and a sniff. “…Yummy.”

“I’m sure.” Okay, great, he had a target. “I think I know where the cotton candy stand is. Why don’t we go there to wait for your papa?”

Apparently this was an appropriate plan, as the kid grasped his offered hand. “Find papa?”

“Yes, I’m sure we’ll find your papa.” Or at least distract the child with cotton candy for long enough for said papa to find them. “What’s your name?”

“…Keiichi.” Keiichi still looked shy, but at least he wasn’t openly crying anymore.

“Really? That’s great, my name is Keigo. We’re almost the same, right? Two Kei-chans.” Atobe straightened himself, holding onto the little hand. “Shall we go, Kei-chan?”

He somehow managed to make his way to the cotton candy stand without losing Keiichi in the crowd. Once there, he bought them both a treat, then crouched down next to Keiichi to wait. Patience was a virtue, after all, and one of his strong points besides.

It didn’t take too long for him to hear a distant voice calling out over the noise of the crowd. “Keiichi! Keiichi, where are you?”

“Did you hear that?” Atobe nudged the boy. “Your papa is looking for you.”

Keiichi’s eyes widened, and he abandoned his cotton candy for a moment. “Papa!” he called out, not that his little voice carried far. “Papa, here!”

The voice got closer soon enough, and Atobe realized it sounded oddly familiar. However, he didn’t really have time to process that until a very familiar man broke out of the crowd, rushing straight towards the shouting child. “Keiichi! There you are. Papa was so worried! You shouldn’t wander off like that.”

“Sorry, Papa.” Atobe was pretty sure Keiichi’s teary hug got cotton candy all over his papa’s yukata, but that was hardly important. All Atobe could pay attention to was the fact that Sanada Genichirou apparently had a son.

“Well. I see there was a happy end after all.” Atobe smirked, taking another bite of his own cotton candy as he stood up. Clearly Keiichi didn’t need his company any longer.

Sanada blinked, apparently only now noticing anyone but the child was there. “Atobe?” He sounded utterly dumbfounded. “What are you doing here?”

“Kei-san help!” Keiichi volunteered. “Keiichi lost. Find Papa!”

“Really?” Sanada picked up the child with the easy motions of someone very used to such things. “In that case, I suppose I owe you my gratitude. …Even if you have apparently done your best to ruin his dinner.”

“We’re at a festival, no child is going to eat a proper dinner. Besides, he was crying, so I thought I should cheer him up.” Atobe chuckled. “Though to make up for my transgression, I could treat you both to equally unhealthy but hopefully more filling festival food. And maybe while we eat you can share the backstory?”

The look on Sanada’s face was dubious enough that Atobe was sure he was going to be turned down. And yet he soon found himself sitting on a bench with a big Sanada, a little Sanada, and a spread of festival foods.

“So.” He waited long enough for Keiichi to be suitably distracted with food, though the kid was definitely sticking close to Sanada still, leaning into his side. It was adorable, really, and very much not what he would have expected from Sanada of all people. “I’m assuming there’s a story here?”

“Not sure there’s as much of one as you wish.” Sanada snorted. “I was young and foolish.”

“So he really is yours.” Atobe hummed in thought. “He’s, what, two years old?”

“Turning three soon.” Sanada gave his kid another terribly gentle look. It should have looked entirely foreign on Sanada’s usually so serious face, but somehow, it seemed to fit.

Atobe did some quick mental math, then gave Keiichi a closer look. The features were very much like Sanada, but the curly hair was certainly not from him. Besides, there was something familiar about the shape and color of the little eyes. “Huh. Do tell me, was Yukimura ever actually sick?”

“We needed an explanation. It wasn’t the best one, but it worked for the time.” Sanada made a face. “As I said, young and foolish. And as luck would have it, that wasn’t without consequences.”

“Well. If it’s any comfort, that is quite the cute little consequence.” Atobe paused. “…Yukimura went overseas after middle school, didn’t he?”

“Seiichi didn’t want anything to interfere with his tennis career.” Sanada shrugged a little. “So, he had Keiichi, and as soon as he’d recovered from the birth, he signed full custody over to me. My mom looks after him while I’m at school, but I take full responsibility when I’m home.”

“You don’t mind being a single dad, though.” There was no point in making it a question, not with the soft look Sanada gave his son.

“Never.” The answer was firm and without a moment’s hesitation. “It’s not always easy, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.” Sanada ruffled Keiichi’s hair. “Wouldn’t trade my little warrior for the world.” Keiichi blinked at this show of affection, but then turned back to his food. Which meant it was perfectly ordinary for Sanada to be affectionate with his son. Interesting.

“That’s good to hear.” Atobe allowed himself a small smirk. “You seem to be handling fatherhood quite well, little lost episodes aside.”

“Right.” Sanada sighed. “Thank you for staying with him. He gets rather flustered in crowds, and he’s… not too good at talking. Ah. Even for his age.”

“He takes after his sire, then.” Atobe shrugged. “Kids are different. Kabaji barely spoke until he was five.” Of course, Kabaji still wasn’t very talkative, but he was perfectly capable of doing it when he needed to.

“…Ah. I would appreciate it if you didn’t spread this too far.” Sanada grimaced. “The school already knows, so it’s not like I would get expelled or anything, but I would rather not have everyone in the tennis circuit gossiping about Keiichi.”

“Of course not. I have to be loyal to another Kei-chan.” Atobe gave a solemn nod. “I do have a request, however.”

“And what is that?” Sanada lifted his eyebrows.

“I would like to know when exactly his birthday is.” Atobe smirked even more. “Not for any nefarious purposes, I assure you, I merely enjoy the opportunity to give people gifts.”

“Hn.” Sanada was quiet for a moment, frowning. “…As long as you don’t go overboard. I know you.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” Atobe chuckled. “I promise I will stick to only one present.”

Now, why did Sanada not look impressed by this very gracious promise?

*

Sanada had to admit he was somewhat apprehensive when a package wrapped in shiny purple paper showed up at their house, addressed to Keiichi.

He didn’t need to see a sender name to know this was from Atobe. Which was not unexpected, really. Sanada knew very well that Atobe had no problem with spending money on others, and it was almost Keiichi’s birthday, too. Even so, he wasn’t entirely sure he trusted Atobe to pick a suitable gift for a three-year-old.

In the end, he figured it would have been rather ungrateful not to even take a look, and in any case Keiichi was rather curious about the pretty package. Sanada sat down on the living room floor with his son in his lap, helping Keiichi open the neatly wrapped packaging. As Keiichi finally pulled back the paper to uncover a package of large puzzle pieces made of foam, he shrieked in delight. Sanada for his part breathed out a sigh of relief. Nothing wrong with a playmat Keiichi could build.

It wasn’t until Keiichi had taken the playmat into his hands and crawled off that Sanada realized there was something else still in the package. There was a box of some sort wrapped in plain paper, with an envelope taped to the front of it. On top of the envelope he found his own name. Curious.

Sanada gingerly took the envelope off the package, opening it. Inside he found a brief letter written in neat, precise handwriting.

“Sanada,

This package includes a working cellphone and its accessories. I will obviously cover any associated bills. The phone can only call preset numbers, such as yourself and other family members. I have taken the liberty of programming my own number in as well.

I have been given to understand that a gift like this should not be given to a child without the permission of the parent. As such, I have included another gift for Keiichi. I do hope you’ll allow him to have this as well, but I’ll respect your choice if not.

Either way, I wish Keiichi a very happy birthday.

Atobe”

Sanada stared at the letter for a moment. Then he turned his eyes to the plainly wrapped package. Tearing away the wrapping paper, he found that Atobe had been telling the truth. Not that there had been any reason to doubt him, but it still felt a bit strange to find a cell phone in his toddler son’s birthday gift. Then again, he supposed it was exactly what he should have expected from Atobe.

Perhaps it should have been a difficult choice, but it really wasn’t. Certainly, Keiichi was very young still, but it seemed Atobe had done his best to make sure it was safe. Besides, anything that encouraged Keiichi to talk more was worth a try at least.

“Keiichi?” He waited for Keiichi to look up from his attempts at putting together his new playmat. “Come see what else Kei-san sent you.”

Keiichi rushed over, eyes widening as he saw what Sanada was taking out of the box. “Beep-boop!”

“That’s right, it’s a phone. Your very own phone. Would you like to call Kei-san and thank him?”

“Yes!” Keiichi crawled back into his lap. “Call Kei-san!”

It took him a moment to find which of the preset buttons had a number already associated with it, but after that, it was quite simple to simply push the button and have the phone call Atobe.

“Sanada?” Atobe picked up rather quickly. Had he been expecting the call? “I take it you received the package.”

“Indeed. Now, I think there’s something Keiichi would like to tell you.” He handed the phone to his son, who clumsily brought it up to his ear.

“Kei-san?” Keiichi grinned as he no doubt heard Atobe’s voice from the other end of the line. “Kei-san! Thank!” It was strange but rather pleasant, watching Keiichi speaking so freely to someone other than family. Sure, his side of the conversation was rather spotty and halting, but by the end of it he was grinning as he reached the phone out to Sanada. “Papa! Kei-san!”

“Atobe.” Sanada watched Keiichi hurrying back to his playmat. “I… thank you. It seems he likes both his gifts.”

“Of course. I am extremely brilliant at picking gifts.” He could hear the smirk in Atobe’s voice. “Now, I told Keiichi he can call me whenever he likes, but he should always get your permission first. I hope this is acceptable to you?”

“Hn.” It did sound good. Apparently Atobe was at least trying to respect Sanada’s position as a parent. And yet, there was something nagging at the back of his mind. “Atobe?”

“Yes?” Immediately, the smirk was gone from Atobe’s voice, replaced by utter seriousness. Good. This should be serious.

Sanada glanced at Keiichi setting up the playmat, then stood up, walking to the other side of the room. Even so, he dropped his voice a little. “Why are you doing this?”

“What do you mean?” Atobe sounded surprised. At least, he no doubt tried to sound like it. “It is almost Kei-chan’s birthday, is it not?”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” Sanada ran a hand over his face. “I… please don’t think I’m being ungrateful. You treat Keiichi well and don’t mock his difficulties, you are respectful of my boundaries, and clearly Keiichi likes you. However, that’s… that just makes me more worried.”

“You mean, you’re afraid how Keiichi will react if I lose interest.” Atobe’s voice was calm and matter of fact, yet it somehow made Sanada cringe. “Because I’m that unreliable?”

“That’s not what I said.” Sanada grimaced. “Just… you like the novelty of this, I get that. You probably aren’t around a lot of little children. However, sooner or later you’ll get tired of it. And that’s fine, you have no stake in this mess, but Keiichi will not understand that.”

“And the more involved I get in your lives before that happens, the more it will hurt. Of course.” Atobe’s voice stayed level, almost eerie in its calmness. “Now, you’re looking out for your child. I don’t fault you for that at all, and I’m hardly going to demand that you take that risk just for my sake.”

“Why do I get the feeling you have more to say?”

“Don’t I always?” Typical Atobe, really. “You know I am tenacious. You know I won’t quit, no matter what. And I can assure you, I would not turn away from a lonely child when I was the one to first reach out to them.” Atobe chuckled softly. “Now, you I would abandon in a heartbeat, but that’s because you are an overly serious bore.”

“This is not a joke to me, Atobe.” Sanada sighed. “It’s… he doesn’t have a lot of contact with people outside the family. My team visits sometimes, but they tend to come in crowds and get too noisy for him.”

“And Yukimura?” Atobe’s voice was oddly gentle. Though then, it didn’t take a genius to realize this was probably a difficult subject.

“Seiichi did not want to be tied down.” Sanada didn’t blame him, never would blame him, but it did still hurt sometimes. “I’m not going to lie to Keiichi about his bearer, and when he’s older he can get in touch with Seiichi if he wants, but for now we decided it would be best for everyone if we keep minimal contact.”

“I see.” Atobe was quiet for a while. “Well, all I can tell you is that I have every intention of staying in touch as long as you will allow me to be in Kei-chan’s life. Whether you believe me or not is up to you.”

“Hn.” He pondered this perhaps a little too long, but then, this was about Keiichi. He was not going to make decisions that might affect Keiichi’s happiness lightly. “I… suppose I can believe you.”

“Excellent.” And the smirk was back. “In that case, would you accept my invitation for both you and Keiichi to come over to my house this weekend? I think he might like to meet my dog.”

Sanada heard his own voice agreeing, and had the sneaking suspicion he had no chance to begin with.


	2. Chapter 2

“I’m not sure this actually counts as a house.”

“Why not?” Atobe smirked, spreading his arms like the ridiculous showman he was. “It is a privately owned building that is the primary residence of my family. Therefore, it is our home, and clearly a house.”

“No, I really don’t think so.” To be honest, he hadn’t expected anything less. Not only was this Atobe, but rather than leave Sanada to make his way over on his own, he had decided to come in a car to get them. A very fancy car, with an actual driver. “This is at the very least a mansion. Possibly a palace.”

“Nonsense. Sure, it’s a bit big, but how else would we have room for servants?” Atobe grinned, turning to look at Keiichi. “You need some help with the stairs, Kei-chan?”

“I’m just going to assume you are not joking.” Sanada sighed. “Also, just so you know, having big enough a staircase up to your front door that my son needs help getting up it doesn’t make this place any less of a mansion.”

“You’re being ridiculous.” Apparently Atobe had gotten some sort of a response from Keiichi, as he’d picked the child up and carried him up the stairs. Sanada followed them in a couple of strides. He wasn’t terribly surprised to find the door opening before Atobe reached it, a uniformed maid bowing at them.

“Welcome home, Keigo-sama.” She gave them a smile. “Will you need anything?”

“Serve some fruit punch out at the back patio, please. And cookies.” Atobe set Keiichi down, then turned towards the huge staircase rising up from the enormous entrance hall. “Beat! Here, boy! We’ve got guests.”

A dog appeared in the staircase. Well, Sanada assumed it was a dog, since Atobe had said he wanted to introduce one. All Sanada could see was a messy ball of fur running down the stairs at a direct crash course with Atobe. Atobe himself didn’t seem to mind, staggering back a couple of steps when the furry missile collided with him.

“Beat! Calm down, boy. You’re too old to be knocking me over like that!” Atobe chuckled, tolerating a few more seconds of enthusiastic licks to his face. “Sit, boy!”

The dog immediately seated himself, tilting his head curiously at the guests. His tail was wagging so hard, Sanada had to wonder how it was staying on.

“Now, Kei-chan. Would you like to see Beat do a trick?” At Keiichi’s enthusiastic nod, Atobe grinned. “Come closer and hold out your hand.”

Keiichi walked closer, eyes shining as he was almost within touch distance. “Woof!”

“Yes, he’s a woof. Now, hold out your hand and ask him to shake.” Beat clearly perked up at the word, but didn’t move yet. Instead, he stared at Keiichi expectantly.

Keiichi reached out his hand, hesitating for a moment. Then, he drew a deep breath. “Sake!” Apparently that was close enough for Beat, as the dog lifted a furry paw and set it gently on Keiichi’s tiny hand. Keiichi’s eyes went quite possibly wider than Sanada had ever seen them. Staring at the dog, he then turned to look at Sanada. “Woof!”

“That’s right, Keiichi. I think that woof likes you.” He certainly hoped so, at least. It would be such a pity to come all this way only to get kicked out because they somehow offended Atobe’s dog.

“Beat likes pretty much everyone.” Atobe crouched down, petting the dog’s head. “Well, aside from a few exceptions, but I doubt that’s going to be the case here.”

“That is not really reassuring.” Still, Sanada had to say it was good to see Keiichi carefully reaching to pet the dog. Perhaps he should get Keiichi a pet of his own? “What breed is he?”

“God knows.” Atobe chuckled, scratching Beat’s ears. The dog’s tail was somehow getting even faster in its wagging, clearly enjoying the double petting. “He was a rescue, and too much of a mutt to pin down clearly. We’re reasonably sure he’s a dog, at least, although my dad is still convinced he might be half bear.”

“Really?” Sanada lifted his eyebrows. “I would have thought you’d be the type for something very fancy and purebred.”

“Perhaps, but things didn’t go as expected. I didn’t just decide I wanted a dog, I picked him up off the street.” Atobe chuckled. “My parents were rather hesitant to let me keep him, but I have always been rather strong-willed.”

“You mean stubborn.” Sanada snorted. “…He looks like a good dog.”

“He’s the best dog.” Atobe grinned, standing up. “Well, Kei-chan, I think there might be something yummy out in the back patio. And maybe after that, you’d like to play fetch with Beat?”

Apparently this plan pleased Keiichi, as he nodded fervently, immediately following Atobe as he walked off. Sanada trailed behind the two and the dog, marveling at the sheer size of the building. His own home was hardly small, but it was utterly dwarfed by Atobe’s mansion. Keiichi hardly seemed to notice, paying more attention to the dog than the distance they had to walk to cross through the building.

As Atobe had promised, there was indeed fruit punch and cookies set out at the patio behind the building. There was also a huge garden, large enough Sanada couldn’t even see the fence at the back end of it. There were actual fountains in the garden. More than one.

“What’s that building over there?” Sanada frowned at the half-hidden building nestled within some trees. “Is that were you practise tennis?” He refused to believe Atobe wouldn’t have some sort of tennis facilities at home.

“Oh, no. That’s the stable.” At Sanada’s nonplussed look, Atobe smirked. “You know. The place where horses live?”

“You have horses. Of course.” Sanada nodded. “Honestly, I’m not even surprised.”

“The sports complex is in the other direction.” Atobe walked over to the elegant little table, picking up the pitcher of fruit punch. “Kei-chan, please pick a seat.”

Sanada helped Keiichi get settled into a seat, grunting as Atobe poured him a glass of punch as well. It was a warm day, so hydration was important.

Atobe kept mostly talking with Keiichi, getting the occasional answer. Finally Keiichi started to squirm in his seat, clearly restless, and Atobe chuckled. “Would you like to go play with Beat now?”

Keiichi nodded enthusiastically. Then, as Sanada gave him a nudge, he added, “Yes, please!”

“Very well.” Atobe conjured up a colorful tennis ball. “You know how to throw this, right?”

“Yes!” Keiichi slipped out of his seat, reaching for the ball. “Play with Papa.”

“Yes, I rather thought so.” Atobe grinned, handing Keiichi the ball. “Now, you know what to say, right?”

Keiichi nodded, then totted over to the edge of the patio. Beat followed him, tail taging off wagging again. Keiichi took on a determined expression, throwing the ball as far as his tiny arm could manage. “Fetch!”

Sanada waited until Keiichi was definitely out of earshot before asking the question that had been bothering him. “What sort of people does your dog not like?”

“People with purple hats.” At Sanada’s unimpressed look, Atobe turned to look over to Keiichi and his dog. “…Aggressive alphas.”

“Hn.” Sanada nodded slowly. “And would there be a reason?”

Atobe pursed his lips as though deep in thought. Just as Sanada was about to ask him again, though, he sighed. “Beat… might have seen someone try to pin me against a wall once.”

“What? Who? When?” Sanada frowned. Still, he didn’t realize he’d gotten halfway up from his seat until Atobe glanced at him and snorted.

“Calm down. It was a few years ago. Anyway, I kneed the bastard in the groin before he managed to actually do anything too nefarious. Still, Beat’s gotten somewhat… protective, you could say, ever since.”

“As a good dog should, protecting his master.” Sanada nodded firmly, leaning back in his seat. “Does that sort of thing happen often?”

“Not really. I’m usually surrounded by people, so even those who don’t take rejection well don’t dare try anything else.” Atobe lifted his eyebrows at Sanada’s frown. “What, do you want me to pretend people aren’t interested in me?”

“No, that would obviously be a lie.” If even Sanada could admit Atobe was both attractive and intriguing, there had to be plenty of others as well. “I just don’t like the idea that turning someone down could make them dangerous if you aren’t surrounded by people.”

“Welcome to the life of an omega.” Atobe spread his arms as though making some grand presentation. “Before you prematurely panic for Kei-chan’s sake, though, most alphas are actually decent enough people. I suppose I just attract the aggressive type. I’m loud and commanding and make no apologies, and some people just can’t stand that coming from an omega, I guess.”

“That is not how a proper alpha should act.” Sanada crossed his arms over his chest. “Any alpha who would see omega as competition has already failed. …Ah. In the sense of dominance, that is. Tennis is obviously different.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I got that.” Atobe smirked. “Honestly, it’s kind of cute when you start measuring each other up, as long as it doesn’t lead to actual fist fights. Which does happen on occasion around teenagers, as you no doubt know.”

“Hn.” Sanada nodded. “It’s why omegas make good captains. You won’t get distracted by such things.” He wasn’t above admitting he’d gotten caught up in dominance challenges from time to time. It was a good thing he was dominant enough to settle those with a well-placed growl and a glare now, since he did not have Seiichi around to take over anymore.

“Funny. Many people would say that’s exactly why we’re not suited to lead.” Atobe’s smirk turned into something almost like a smile. “I think I like that view on things.”

“I grew up with Seiichi, remember. I can handle being a captain, but it was good to know I could rely on him to take charge if I got too distracted.” Sanada paused, looking over to where Keiichi was running around with Beat. “…Then Keiichi arrived, and I had to grow up.”

“Did that really change things?” Atobe looked genuinely curious, now. “I’ve heard my friends describe the feeling of challenge, but obviously I don’t have an actual understanding of what it’s like. How did becoming a father change it for you?”

“…Think of it as seeing a challenging opponent.” He was rather certain this comparison would get through to Atobe. “If someone starts posturing, it feels very similar to having someone walk up to the court and issue a challenge. Think Echizen, coming up to the Hyoutei courts.”

“Ahhh. I get that.” Atobe snapped his fingers. “And you know that if you refuse to take the challenge, he’s going to smirk like he already won and be absolutely annoying.”

“Something like that.” Clearly Atobe had indeed caught on to his metaphor. “Since Keiichi was born… it feels like I’ve already beaten the challenger. I can take the challenge to make a point, but I know I can refuse, and everyone will still know I’m the better player.”

“Interesting. I suppose it makes sense, though.” Atobe chuckled. “I’ve heard alpha posturing developed as a way to try to get a mate, so raising a toddler would mean you’ve already met that goal.”

“Perhaps.” Sanada paused. “To be honest, I was… surprised, I guess, when I first found out you’re an omega.”

“I know, I know. It’s the one thing I fail at.” Atobe did not look like he regretted this supposed failure one bit, though. “Even back in England omegas were supposed to play nice and not get too rowdy, and here in Japan the attitudes tend to be even worse. I’m not quiet and gentle and demure, and I don’t want to become like that just to please some imagined standard.”

“…Is that why you took an interest in Keiichi?” Sanada wasn’t sure how he should feel about that.

“In part, I suppose. Not that there’s anything wrong with just being shy, if indeed that’s what he is, but it’s still good for him to see there’s more than one way of being an omega.” Atobe paused, budying himself with pouring them both more fruit punch. “The bigger reason… was Kabaji.”

“Hn.” Sanada thought back to the night Atobe had first met Keiichi. “You said he didn’t speak much.”

“Indeed.” Atobe nodded. “He never was good with words, and awfully self-conscious about that. I decided very young that I would just speak for the both of us. Kei-chan reminds me of him in some ways. Maybe he’s just quiet by nature, but it’s also possible he simply needs some confidence, and that is something I can help with.”

“Right.” Sanada allowed himself a small smile. “He has… liked calling you.” Since the arrival of the phone, Keiichi had insisted on calling Atobe every night before his bedtime. Sanada had been somewhat hesitant about allowing it, worried Atobe would grow tired of the calls, but so far that didn’t seem to have happened. Of course, it had only been a few days so far.

"And he is welcome to keep calling me.” Atobe smirked again. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m always happy to hear more of my voice.”

Sanada snorted. “I won’t argue with that.”

“Didn’t think you would.” Atobe laughed, now, a surprisingly light and clear sound quite unlike the maniacal cackles Sanada had heard from him before. It was a pleasant sound, one that made his eyes sparkle. He’d noticed Atobe’s blue eyes before, of course, they weren’t exactly common in Japan, but for the first time he noticed just how close the shade of Atobe’s eyes was to the clear sky above them. To be honest, they were starting to be rather distracting.

To be fair, Atobe had always been rather distracting.

*

Sanada was starting to wonder if he hadn’t entirely lost his mind.

Not that it was that terrible, really, leaving Keiichi in Atobe’s care so he could have the evening free even though his family were all busy. Keiichi was fond of his Kei-san, Atobe was rather responsible when he wasn’t showing off, and they were constantly surrounded by adults in the Atobe mansion. Still, it was hard to remind himself of this when he prepared for the first time ever to leave his son in the care of someone who wasn’t a family member.

“Are you sure this is all right?” Sanada frowned. He was trying not to make Keiichi think anything was wrong, because that wasn’t the case, but he couldn’t help feeling worried.

“Of course. We’ll be just fine, won’t we, Kei-chan?” At Keiichi’s enthusiastic nod, Atobe smirked. “See? We’ll keep you updated. Now, shoo. You’re going to be late.”

Atobe was right, he was already cutting it close, but even so Sanada couldn’t help but pause until the car had driven off. Then he finally managed to make himself move. His friends were waiting, after all.

The rest of the team seemed surprised to see him, even though he had told them to wait for him. Not that it was that strange, really. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d backed out of a meeting at the last moment.

“Ah, Genichirou.” Renji gave him a mild smile. “I thought you weren’t sure you could get a babysitter?”

Sanada shrugged, trying not to show the tension he felt. “There was a change of plans.” Which probably would be understood as one of his family members changing their plans and becoming available to look after Keiichi. He had no desire to clarify further, as that would have only caused more questions. “Shall we go?” His team accepted this vague explanation, and they headed into the movie theatre with just enough time. The others were chattering up until the film started, but Sanada found himself having some trouble relaxing. That was rather ruining the point of the evening, as he was well aware; getting him to unwind was the reason his friends had asked him to come along in the first place. He did manage to focus on the movie itself eventually, but the nagging feeling was still there in the back of his mind. What if something happened, and he wasn’t there?

Sanada did wait until they were out of the theatre to check his phone, but it was only barely. He could tell the others were amused at his rush for updates, but he didn’t care. He had to make sure everything was fine or he wouldn’t be able to enjoy his time off.

There were several messages from Atobe, each with a photograph. It seemed like Keiichi was having fun at Atobe’s, grinning in every picture. The last one did make Sanada lift his eyebrows and type a response.

‘Did you paint my son’s nails?’ At least they were yellow and black. He could approve of that.

Atobe replied almost immediately, including a picture of his own hand. His nails were all white and blue, with slightly shaky black lines across. ‘And he painted mine. A rather unique look, don’t you think?’

‘Isn’t he too young for that?’ He was trying not to fret too much, but it was difficult.

‘Don’t worry, I made sure to buy kid-safe polish. I’m not entirely irresponsible.'

‘I didn’t think that. He’s just never done anything like that before.’

‘Well, he seems to like them. I’ll send the bottles home with him.’

‘You don’t have to do that.’ He was already in Atobe’s debt for his help.

'I’m not going to paint my nails yellow. He might as well have them.’ Which implied Atobe had bought the color just for Keiichi. Sanada wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“Something going on?” Renji's voice cut in through his thoughts. “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing.” Sanada did his best to sound neutral. “Atobe is just being a pain.”

He realized as soon as the words left his lips that he had made a mistake, but it was too late to take them back. Now everyone’s eyes seemed to be on him, curious and amused.

“You’re texting Atobe, now?” Niou leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the phone. Sanada responded by moving his phone in the opposite direction. This proved to be a mistake, as Marui snatched it out of his hand.

“Oh, he really is!” Marui danced away from his reach. “Wait, what? You let Atobe look after Kei-chan?”

Sanada sighed. Well, that made sure they wouldn’t be talking about anything else tonight.

By the time he finally managed to escape, he was full of terribly unhealthy fast food and exhausted from all the questions. For all that he tried to assure himself he had no obligation to explain himself or his parenting decisions to others, brushing off all the questions was not an option with these people. Some friends he had.

Sanada texted Atobe that he was home and Keiichi could return. Then, he added, ‘My team now knows you were babysitting. I hope you are happy.’

Once again, Atobe’s response was quick. ‘We’re almost there already, he was getting tired so I called your parents to make sure they’d be home. Also, I’m ecstatic.’ This was followed by a picture of Keiichi nodding off in a car seat. He could have been imagining it, but Sanada was fairly sure he was clutching a small bottle of nail polish in his hand. The little smile was definitely not just his imagination, though.

Well. Perhaps Atobe wasn’t an entirely terrible babysitter.


	3. Chapter 3

There was someone watching his match.

Well, that was rather obvious. There were plenty of people watching, there always were, even outside his own team. However, this was a rather unusual guest. There was no reason why a Hyoutei regular would have been watching a Rikkai match before they even made it to Kanto.

Sanada did his best to ignore the strange guest, especially since his teammates didn’t seem too bothered. In fact, they almost seemed to be separating him from any other spectators. There was no way such an intruder wouldn’t have been questioned by the others, particularly since he was apparently recording Sanada’s match on his phone. Sanada had no idea why Renji would have allowed that, but apparently he had, so it wasn’t worth getting distracted over. Of course, that only held true as long as the match was going on. Once he’d taken his victory and shook his opponent’s hand, Sanada marched straight to where the Hyoutei player was standing, still holding up his phone. Sanada was about to question him, but the intruder simply smirked and turned the phone to face him. Peering closer, Sanada was surprised to see a very familiar face on the screen.

“Keiichi?”

“Papa!” Keiichi waved at him enthusiastically. “Papa play! Kei-chan watch!”

“Yeah, I was playing.” Sanada smiled despite his confusion. Whatever was going on, it made Keiichi smile, so it was all right with him. “Did I do well?”

“Yes!” Keiichi beamed at him. “Papa win!”

“That I did.” Sanada chuckled. “Now, shall we say bye?”

“Bye, Papa!” Keiichi waved at him until the call ended.

Sanada forced his smile away from his face, turning to look at the Hyoutei player. He couldn’t remember this particular name. It wasn’t one of the main regulars. “An explanation, please?”

“I was sent by Atobe.” The Hyoutei player smirked, flipping a strand of hair over his shoulder. “Taki Haginosuke. I’m not playing today, so Atobe sent me here instead.”

“To do what, exactly?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Taki’s smirk got even more smug. “A certain someone wanted to see you play, and Atobe wanted me to make sure that happened. Don’t worry, I’ve been sworn to secrecy on everything. Like the fact that a kid is calling you papa.”

Sanada lifted his eyebrows. “And why should I trust you?”

“Because as long as I keep the secret, everyone else in the team is going to go crazy wondering what sort of secret errand Atobe’s sent me on.” Taki smirked. “Trust me, that’s more than worth keeping my mouth shut.”

“Hn.” Sanada paused. “…Thank you. For going to the trouble.”

“Eh, Atobe’ll make it worth my while.” Taki chuckled. “He was planning on coming himself, you know, but then decided he shouldn’t leave us all alone for the first day of the tournament.”

“That… does sound like Atobe.” Which was all he could think of to say, really.

Atobe probably would have plenty to say.

*

When Sanada returned to the waiting room, still trying to process what he had just heard, he found Atobe playing some kind of a game with Keiichi. Keiichi was frowning in concentration, doing his best to clap Atobe’s hands in rhythm to whatever little rhyme Atobe was reciting. As soon as Atobe’s eyes locked on Sanada over Keiichi’s shoulder, though, his son spun around, rushing towards him.

“Papa!” Keiichi hugged his legs, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. “Kei-chan win!”

"Is that so.” Sanada ruffled Keiichi’s hair, glancing at Atobe. Atobe was smiling, but it faded away as he saw Sanada’s expression. “How about we go get some ice cream to celebrate, huh?”

Atobe was clearly bursting to ask him all sort of questions, but for now he was holding them back. Instead he settled into step on the other side of Keiichi so the child could hold onto both of their hands. It was a sweet sight, no doubt, and in any other situation Sanada might have felt strangely warm at the idea. Right now, though, he was rather distracted. Thankfully Atobe was on the ball, leading their way to the car and giving the driver instructions, keeping Keiichi busy with chatter so Sanada could get his thoughts straight.

“Sorry.” Sanada sighed as they reached the upscale ice cream place Atobe had picked. It was not exactly what he’d had in mind, but Keiichi was delighted, so that was good enough. “You shouldn’t have to spend your day off taking me around on errands.”

“Please. If I minded, I would have just sent the driver and not come along myself.” Which wasn’t really much better, but Sanada supposed that for Atobe, that was the bare minimum effort. “And I won’t even pester you for news until Kei-chan has gotten his ice cream.”

Atobe kept his word, commandeering their group all the way through ordering. Finally Keiichi was distracted by his ridiculously complicated ice cream portion, while Sanada stared down at his own rather more simple order. Atobe took a spoonful of his own portion with probably more toppings than ice cream, savoring it for a moment. There was a small smear of ice cream left on the corner of his mouth, and it almost distracted Sanada from his thoughts. Almost.

“So.” Atobe kept his voice low, his eyes sharp and piercing. “What’s the verdict?”

“…My knees won’t last through the season.” He knew it was his own fault. He had been pushing himself against all advice, and now he was paying for it. According to the doctor, he might recover enough with proper rest to play recreationally, but a pro career was definitely out of his reach.

"I see.” He’d half expected Atobe to scold him, or perhaps make some snide comment about how he should have seen this coming. There was nothing like that, though, just a thoughtful nod. “So… what do you plan to do?”

“I’m… going to quit.” Sanada sighed. He looked down at his ice cream, now, not wanting to meet Atobe’s eyes. It already felt like they were looking right through him. “I might be able to get out a couple of more matches, but that would be risky. I’d rather step back and let my team take care of the playing than push myself and end up getting carried off mid-match.”

“Especially since that would no doubt frighten Kei-chan.” Atobe nodded. “Well, if you feel that is for the best, do that. Though regardless, I would be happy to cover the cost of any treatment or rehabilitation that might be necessary.”

“That will not be necessary.” Sanada paused. “…Though the offer is appreciated.” No reason to be impolite just because such things were probably quit trivial for Atobe.

“Anything for my second favorite Sanada.” Atobe smirked at his unamused scoff, then dug into his ice cream again.

“I’m sure my grandfather will appreciate the fact you are holding him in such high regard.” Hey, he could be snarky as well.

Atobe snorted. “Please. As though I would like anyone better than Kei-chan.”

Keiichi looked up at the sound of his name, smiling with a messy smile. “Kei-san?”

“That’s right. Kei-san likes you very much.” Atobe leaned in, perfectly casual, and pressed a kiss to Keiichi’s messy hair. “I’m getting to be rather fond of your papa, too.”

Keiichi giggled, coaxing a smile out of Atobe. Sanada was caught staring for a moment. Keiichi looked delighted, and there was something almost soft in Atobe’s smile, not a hint of mockery like in his usual smirks. He might have stared a bit too long, though, as Atobe turned towards him, quirking an eyebrow.

“Hn.” Think quick. “You’ve got something there.” Clearly he’d just used up all his quick thinking, since he apparently decided it was a good idea to reach out to brush his thumb at the lingering bit of ice cream. Atobe’s eyes widened a fraction, then narrowed in mischief. His tongue flicked out, quick as a shot, and met Sanada’s thumb. Sanada pulled his hand back, feeling his cheeks heat up. Atobe was chuckling, but he didn’t look displeased. Sanada supposed that was the best outcome to this awkward moment. The next moment Keiichi was nudging Atobe, saying something, and their attention was drawn away from him again.

He was still rather shaken from the news, but right now, he thought he might get through this.

*

The couch was somewhat smaller than the ones Atobe was used to, but that made it the perfect size for the three of them.

To be fair, Keiichi was taking up rather more than his usual share of space, as he had stretched himself out on one side of the couch, his head rested on Atobe’s thigh. His ongoing commentary of the children’s movie that was coming to an end had slowed down until it had finally come to a halt, replaced by quiet snores. Atobe still kept his hand combing through Keiichi’s hair, not wanting to startle him by stopping all of a sudden. Besides, it felt nice.

“…Thank you for doing this.”

Atobe glanced to his side. Sanada wasn’t meeting his gaze, looking bashful. Almost embarrassed, even. “Don’t mention it. Goodness knows you would be painfully boring company for a movie night.” He was teasing, of course; he had no doubt Keiichi would have been quite content to watch his movie with his papa even without Atobe’s company.

“I didn’t just mean tonight.” Sanada’s voice was quiet, barely audible over the sounds of the movie. “This… everything. Caring for Keiichi, as you have.” Sanada smiled faintly. “He is much more comfortable with speaking than when you first met. I have no doubt it’s thanks to you.”

“Mm, I don’t know. You seem to be speaking more lately, too.” Atobe smirked. Like he was going to miss the opportunity to tease Sanada some more.

“I suppose I might be.” Sanada shifted, his arm pressing closer to Atobe’s. Intentional or not, it was… not unpleasant. “You make him happy.”

“And you?” Perhaps he was caught in the moment, or otherwise distracted. That was Atobe’s excuse for making such a forward question.

“I’m happier, too.”

There was something strange in Sanada’s voice, so Atobe turned his head to study Sanada’s expression. As he did, he found Sanada looking back at him, their faces very close together.

“Because Keiichi is happier?” Atobe could have sworn he could feel Sanada’s breath on his skin. “Or because of me?”

“Perhaps it is both.” There was a hint of a flush on Sanada’s cheeks, and Atobe had never seen anything so adorable. “Though really, the two are connected. I could never be happy with someone who did not make Keiichi happy as well.”

“…But you think you could be happy with me?” Atobe couldn’t help but smile. He personally preferred dramatic gestures and the like, but there was something heartwarmingly sincere about this rather forward approach.

“Hn.” Sanada glanced aside, the flush on his cheeks deepening, but didn’t turn his face away. “I would not be opposed to giving it a try. …If you are amenable, that is.”

“Really, now.” Atobe chuckled. “I suppose my view on that rather depends.”

“Oh?” Sanada frowned, meeting his eyes again. “Depends on what?”

“Do you actually want me for, well, myself?” Atobe watched Sanada’s face for any sort of reaction. “Or do you just want to find an omega to care for your son and figure you could tolerate me? If it’s both, that’s quite fine with me; it should be obvious I’m rather fond of Kei-chan. However, you don’t need to proposition me just to make sure I’m going to stick around.”

Sanada’s frown deepened, and he looked almost concerned. “I would not do something like that. Certainly not to you.” He shook his head. “I truly do not want to make this awkward for you. If all you want is my friendship, or indeed just Keiichi’s affection, I will not disrupt that. However, I have to confess I find myself rather… attracted to you.”

“Do you, now?” Atobe smirked, leaning forward just a bit so his nose brushed against Sanada’s. “I have to warn you, you are still only going to be my second favorite Sanada.”

“That’s fine.” Sanada’s frown eased a bit, his lips twtitching in something almost like a smile. “It’s not your fault that my son is utterly adorable.”

With that soft smile on Sanada’s lips and the way his eyes crinkled at the corners, Atobe had practically no choice but to kiss him.


	4. Chapter 4

“So.” Jackal was the one to speak up, no doubt after drawing the short straw. That was the only reason why he’d be the one starting the conversation while the rest of the team was staring at him in anticipation. “What’s this we hear about Yukimura being in town?”

“I would have thought Renji could have filled you in on the details, if he was going to tell you to begin with.” He gave Renji a half-hearted glare, one his vice-captain ignored entirely. “Seiichi’s back for the week to meet his family. As far as I’m aware, he’s going to come by to see us all tomorrow. He made other arrangements for this afternoon.”

“Oh?” Niou’s eyebrows shot up. “He didn’t want to meet us first of all?”

Sanada shrugged. Seiichi made his own choices, always had. “He told me he wanted to speak with Atobe. I agreed to arrange a meeting.”

“Wait, what?” Marui popped his bubblegum. “You let Yukimura and Atobe meet? Unsupervised, no less?”

“Yes, and?” Sanada frowned. “It is rather natural that Seiichi would be curious to speak with someone who has become important with Keiichi and me. I fail to see the problem in having them meet.”

“You’re joking, right?” He couldn’t believe Niou of all people was asking him. “They’re going to be clawing each other’s eyes out!”

“I have to agree.” Yagyuu adjusted his glasses. “I cannot see how this will end in anything but a disaster.”

“Right. One, they are not in elementary school. I do not see any reason there would be a conflict, but even if there was, I’m sure they can handle it between themselves.” Sanada’s frown deepened. “Two, I am not either of their keeper. They do not need my permission to meet other people, even if that happens to be each other. And three, I find it rather sexist to suggest that two omegas with a point of conflict will inevitably end up fighting.”

“Nothing about omegas, just that they’re both pretty extra.” Marui popped his gum again. “Though I suppose it’s good to know we don’t have to get on your case about being a pigheaded alpha about dating.”

“I think Atobe can look after himself.” It occurred to him only a moment too late that he had said too much. Even if he hadn’t noticed it himself, the smirks that appeared on every face around him would have made it very clear.

“Right.” Niou smirked like a shark. “So now your thing with Atobe is officially dating. And no take-backs.”

“Please.” Sanada snorted. “I don’t think that’s been an option for a while now.” If he couldn’t push away their teasing, he could at least refuse to fight against it.

Atobe definitely owed him some kisses for this.

*

Atobe wasn’t sure why Yukimura would request to meet him in his short visit back to Japan, but he didn’t need to know the details to realize it had to be important. His curiosity grew even stronger when Yukimura asked Atobe to meet him at a sports club, and to bring along his tennis gear. Well, Atobe never did back down from a match.

Atobe made sure they were the only ones at the club, not wanting to get interrupted by curious onlookers. It was probably for the better, considering there was a clear tension the moment Yukimura stepped onto the court.

“So.” Atobe rested his racket on his shoulder, eyeing Yukimura over the net. “You wanted to meet me.”

“Indeed.” Yukimura gave a mild smile. “As it happens, it has come to my attention that you have been growing rather close to Genichirou.”

“Maybe.” There was no point in denying that, but he also didn’t want to make things too easy for Yukimura. “What of it?”

“Well, as you might understand, I’m rather protective of him. And, of course, of little Keiichi.” Yukimura’s eyes did not match his smile, cold and calculating. “So, I’m here to make you an offer. If you can beat me in a match, I will allow you to make a claim on them. If I win — and I will — you will back away for good.”

“Is that so.” Atobe tapped his racket against his shoulder. “Let me get this straight. You want to bet my right to be in their life on the result of a tennis match?”

“Exactly.” Yukimura tilted his head, examining him. “Usually I wouldn’t even think of such a thing, but I suppose they could use a replacement for my missing presence. So, I’m giving you the chance to show that you are deserving of them.” He lifted his own racket to point at Atobe. “So. Shall we?”

“No.”

“Oh?” Yukimura lifted his eyebrows, smirking in clear challenge. However, Atobe wouldn’t let himself be swayed. “Afraid to lose?”

“Never. I simply do not see a point in this challenge.” Atobe crossed his arms over his chest. “You have no right to hand over either Sanada or his son like they are some toys you’ve finished playing with. You gave up that right years ago, and just because Sanada still has some fondness for you doesn’t change that.”

“And you think just because I left, I’m going to let you swoop in and steal them for yourself?” Yukimura was still smirking, but Atobe was not fooled by looks. He could see the tension around Yukimura’s eyes.

“I never said that either.” Atobe shrugged. “Just that it’s not for you to say who they associate with. I do wish to have a part in Sanada’s and Kei-chan’s lives, but that’s not for me to take or for you to grant. The only ones who have any say in that are Sanada and Kei-chan, and your approval or lack thereof will not change anything. I like to think I have won a place in their hearts, but that’s through my company and affection. They are not a trophy to be handed over or won in a match.”

For a long while, Yukimura was quiet, watching Atobe. Finally, he chuckled, relaxing a little. “Well. I suppose you pass.”

It was Atobe’s turn to lift his eyebrows. “I wasn’t aware I was being tested.”

“Of course you were. Not by Keiichi’s bearer, though, but Genichirou’s oldest friend.” Yukimura shook his head. “I worried you might be trying to win them over to show your superiority, or something equally ridiculous. However, it seems your motives are good enough for me to accept.”

“Still not your place to make that call, but I suppose I’ll take it.” Atobe smirked. “Now that we’ve settled that, can we play?”

“Would be a waste not to, wouldn’t it?” Yukimura smiled, and that was definitely a challenge.

Atobe was still not going to back away.

*

For all that he had tried to convince his team that this wasn’t a big deal, Sanada had to admit he was somewhat apprehensive as he walked up to the sports club. The person at the door nodded him through. At least Atobe had handled that, then.

There were no emergency services present, which he supposed was a good start. No yelling, either. Another good sign.

“Seiichi?” he called out, walking towards the courts. “Atobe?”

“Alive and present.” Seiichi sounded rather amused, and Sanada was fairly sure he heard Atobe chuckling as well. “Both of us, even.”

“I would say I wasn’t worried about that, but I like to think of myself as an honest man.” Coming up to the court, he found the two sitting and drinking water, looking almost… amicable. Certainly not as hostile as he might have feared. “Have you, ah. Handled whatever issues you had with each other?”

“One could say that, yes.” Atobe smirked. “And we finished a match, too.”

“Oh?” Now, that he actually did regret missing. “Should I ask about the end result?”

“Hmm… now there’s a thought.” Seiichi glanced at Atobe with a beatific smile. “Should we let him know?”

“I think he needs to earn that.” Atobe’s lips twitched. “How about we’ll tell him once Rikkai’s officially in the Nationals?”

“I like the sound of that.” Seiichi nodded. “Very well. You’ll find out once you reach the Nationals. And if you manage to fail at that… well.”

“Then it’ll just have to stay a mystery, ahn?”

“Fuck.” Sanada couldn’t hold back the expletive, flushing as he was met with two almost identical questioning looks. “Everyone was going on about how the two of you would end up fighting. I don’t think any of us even considered the possibility that you might actually team up.”

“Well, thankfully it’s a one-time thing only. If we had to deal with each other all the time, you would get caught in the crossfire sooner or later.” Atobe stood up, patting Sanada’s shoulder. “How about I pick up Kei-chan for a visit to the aquarium tomorrow? He’s been bugging me about seeing jellyfish for a while now, and you’ll probably want to spend some time with the entire team.”

“Hn.” Sanada frowned but nodded. “I’m fine with that, if he agrees. You know how he gets about crowds.”

“Oh, no need to worry about that. I’ve already got the place reserved for us the entire afternoon.” With that, Atobe walked away, as though he had said nothing more unusual than mentioned he was planning on buying Keiichi a lollipop.

“I see Atobe hasn’t changed much.” Seiichi was still smiling, sipping at his water.

“You might be surprised.” Sanada shook his head. “Ah. Is everything fine?”

“Quite so.” Seiichi nodded. “He’s going to make you happy. You and Keiichi both.”

At one time, he might have protested, might have claimed there was no such thing going on. Instead, Sanada found himself nodding in agreement. “He already does.”

“Yes, I gathered as much. It’s… good to see.” Seiichi looked up at him. “Don’t take me wrong. I do not regret any of my choices. I’ve always done what was best for me at any given time, and would do no differently if I had to live the last few years all over again. However, I am still glad to see I haven’t entirely ruined your life with my selfishness.”

“You gave up the better part of a year of your life just to give me Keiichi. I would hardly call that selfish.” Sanada shook his head. “Also, I have never blamed you for any of your decisions. I hope you know that.”

“I do. You’re annoyingly noble like that.” Seiichi smiled. “Which is why I would have never been right for you.”

“I never would have wanted to hold you back.” Sanada shrugged a little. “…It’s good to see you are happy.”

Seiichi smiled, and he looked awfully much like Keiichi, yet Sanada couldn’t help but think Keiichi’s eyes sparkled more like Atobe’s when he was happy.


	5. Chapter 5

In the end, Sanada never found out the result of the match.

They came close to the Nationals, even with him dropping out of playing, but in the end the circumstances conspired against them. Niou twisted his ankle right before their match against Seigaku, requiring a last-minute lineup change, and they never quite recovered. Seigaku went on to the Nationals and left Rikkai behind.

Well. At least Sanada knew who he would be cheering for.

Hyoutei was on fire, crushing their way through the first few rounds of the Nationals without any trouble. As much as Sanada hated not being able to go against them, he did enjoy watching their matches. Keiichi seemed to enjoy it too, going by his enthusiastic comments afterwards. Sanada decided it wasn’t a bad thing, not since they were out of the tournament. If Keiichi couldn’t cheer for Rikkai, Hyoutei was a good second choice.

“Your son has good taste.” Atobe was smirking as he marched into Sanada’s house the day before the finals. “He said he wanted Hyoutei colors for his nails for tomorrow.”

“Hn. You are a bad influence.” Sanada lifted his eyebrows, looking at the bag Atobe was carrying. “That is more than some bottles of nail polish.”

“Yes, well, I brought along some small things for our biggest fan.” Atobe crouched down to meet Keiichi's enthusiastic rush to him, hugging the child to his chest. “You are our fan, right, Kei-chan?”

“Right!” Keiichi nodded, beaming at Atobe. “Papa’s best. But Kei-san’s best too!”

“I’ll take that.” Atobe chuckled. “Now, how about you tell me about your day while I do your nails? And then you can do mine. Have to look good for the finals, right?”

There was something adorable about the way Keiichi sat patiently while Atobe carefully painted Hyoutei stripes on each little fingernail, listening to Keiichi’s somewhat meandering chatter. Even more impressive was the way Atobe sat still in turn, letting Keiichi paint his nails in a rather messier imitation of his uniform design. It was hard to imagine someone as vain as Atobe letting a toddler do his nails, yet this had become a routine for the two over time. Sanada had it on good authority Atobe never fixed Keiichi’s work, wearing his messy nails like a badge of honor. It made him ache a bit, in a pleasant way.

“Well.” Atobe smirked, flapping his hands in the air once Keiichi finished. “I don’t suppose you’ll want your nails done as well?”

“I think I’ll pass.” Sanada snorted. “You know I only wear Rikkai colors.”

“You are so boring, really.” Atobe carefully closed the nail polish bottles, moving them aside. “So, Kei-chan. I actually have another surprise for you.”

“Oh?” Keiichi’s eyes shone with excitement. “Gimme! Please?” he added hastily after Sanada lifted his eyebrows.

“Of course. Couldn’t keep my favorite boy waiting, after all.” Atobe chuckled, turning back to his bag. “I thought you’d like to have this while you watch my match tomorrow.”

Sanada had a feeling he knew what was coming, yet he still blinked when Atobe dug out the small shirt in Hyoutei colors from his bag. It had to have been made especially for Keiichi, he realized the next moment. He didn’t know if the Hyoutei elementary school had similar tennis uniforms or not, but Atobe hadn’t even lived in Japan when he’d been Keiichi’s age, so he wouldn’t have had one either way.

“For Kei-chan?” Keiichi’s eyes went wide. “Really?”

“Of course. It’s yours to keep.” Atobe smirked. “I also had one made in Rikkai colors, but this one is more appropriate for right now.”

Sanada snorted. “Let me guess. You only got the Rikkai one to appease me.”

“What? Of course not.” Atobe blinked, looking genuinely surprised. “I got it because Kei-chan admires you. You heard him earlier, he thinks you’re the best.”

“…Hn. Is that so.” Sanada regretted not wearing his cap right now, since he felt the overwhelming urge to tug it down over his face.

“Of course. I’m well aware I’m only Kei-chan’s second favorite person. Which is tragic, but it’s the reality I have to work with.” Atobe chuckled, helping Keiichi get his new Hyoutei shirt over his head. “Why, that fits you great! Don’t you think so, Papa?”

“…It does fit.” And Keiichi looked downright adorable, grinning down at his Hyoutei shirt. Just for that expression, Sanada would forgive Atobe for putting his son in Hyoutei colors.

A part of him suspected he wouldn’t have minded either way, but clearly that was just Atobe’s horrible influence.

*

“Are you sure you’ll be fine?”

“Uh-huh.” Keiichi nodded, looking somewhat wary but determined. “Watch Kei-san!”

“Yes, we’re definitely going to do that.” Sanada held onto Keiichi’s hand, not wanting to risk having him run off. There were going to be plenty of people at the finals, and even with the other Rikkai regulars in attendance, the crowd might get too much for Keiichi. Still, Keiichi had wanted to watch in person, and Sanada could not tell him no.

This would definitely mean the end of any sort of secrecy, but that was fine. Keiichi had been opening up a lot since Atobe had come into their lives, and it would only take one wrong person spotting them in public together to start the rumor mill. He might as well control how the information got out.

“Sanada?” His players turned to greet him. “Wait. Is that Kei-chan?”

“Yup!” Keiichi waved happily at the Rikkai players. “Watch Kei-san!”

“God, your son has been ruined.” Niou gave a dramatic sigh. “Hyoutei shirt? Really?”

“Maybe if we’d made it to the Nationals, he’d have someone better to cheer for.” Not that Sanada could blame his team, not really. After all, he had been the first one to step down. “Also, Atobe got him the shirt.”

“It’s a nice shirt, Keiichi-kun.” Renji nodded solemnly. “I’m assuming you’ll want to speak with Atobe before the matches start?”

Sanada would have agreed anyway, but Keiichi nodded his enthusiastic agreement. Waving his goodbyes at the team, he tugged at Sanada’s hand to drag him closer to where the Hyoutei players were getting ready for their matches. Sanada barely managed to glance over his shoulder, trying to assure them he’d come back to their group later. For some reason, nobody looked very convinced.

Most of the Hyoutei regulars looked surprised at his approach, with only Taki smirking knowingly. Atobe smiled a little, then downright beamed as he spotted Keiichi.

“Why, if it isn’t my favorite Sanada!” Atobe grinned, rushing to meet them. “You came to see us play in person, Kei-chan?”

“Yup!” Keiichi grinned, reaching up his arms. Atobe picked him up obediently, giving him a gentle hug. “Watch Kei-san win!”

“Well, I’ll be even more sure to win, then. Couldn’t let down my favorite person, after all.”

“Atobe?” Shishido frowned, his racket resting on his shoulder. “Who’s the twerp?”

Sanada was about to snap in defense of his son, but Atobe spun around, still holding Keiichi close to his chest. “This is Sanada Keiichi, and I’ll thank you not to speak of him in such a tone.”

“Sanada?” Oshitari glanced at Keiichi, then at Sanada himself. “Any relation?”

Sanada grunted. “He’s my son.” Which was scandalous at their age, of course, but he refused to be ashamed. Keiichi was not a mistake, no matter what. “Atobe’s ruined him.”

“Now, really. Just because I’m giving him some human contact outside you overgrown bees doesn’t mean I’m ruining him.” Atobe smirked. “Thank you for bringing him over, though. Not that I wasn’t going to play my best anyway, but I’ll make sure to be even more magnificent, just for Kei-chan.”

“Good to know your ego’s doing fine.” And yet, he couldn’t help but smile a bit. Atobe playing at his best was always a magnificent sight.

“Kei-san?” Keiichi nudged Atobe. “Down please?”

“Right. I do apologize.” Atobe set Keiichi down on the ground, ruffling his hair. “Now, don’t worry about the crowd, all right? I’m sure your Papa will keep you nice and safe.”

Keiichi nodded, then stuck his hand in his pocket. Bringing out something small, he offered it up to Atobe. “Here!” Atobe blinked, as did Sanada when he realized what Keiichi was holding up. It was one of his wristbands, a nice one with his name embroidered on it. He’d gotten it for his birthday from Akaya one year. Keiichi must have gotten it from his tennis bag.

Atobe looked up at Sanada, who gave an awkward shrug. “I had no idea about this,” he grunted. “He probably just wants to help.”

“Well!” Atobe’s confused look turned into a smirk as he took the wristband from Keiichi. “If it’s a good luck charm from Kei-chan, I’ll be sure to wear it.” He slipped it on his wrist, giving Sanada a smirk. There shouldn’t have been anything strange about it, yet Sanada found his cheeks heating up. Something about that smirk, combined with his own name wrapped around Atobe’s wrist, made his insides flip about.

“We should get back to the others.” Before he got too embarrassed and did something foolish, like tried to kiss Atobe in public. “Ah. Good luck.”

“Thank you.” And then, because Atobe was impossible, he bent down to kiss Keiichi’s hair. “I hope you enjoy watching us win, Kei-chan.”

The matches were enjoyable enough to watch, particularly as Seigaku got their come-uppance at last. Keiichi was entranced, silent except where he asked questions. Sanada answered him as best as he could, where his teammates didn’t manage to do so first. It was nice to see Keiichi was interested in the sport even when it wasn’t directly about either Rikkai or his precious Kei-san. Perhaps he’d like to learn to play, too.

The second to last match was coming to an end when a large figure approached them in the stands. Kabaji came to a halt next to them, leaning in. “…Atobe said you can watch his match from the team’s bench.”

Sanada almost said no, ready to insist that they were just fine, but Keiichi’s eyes were shining and Sanada couldn’t very well deny his son such a small delight. Ignoring the smirks and jeers of his team, he picked up Keiichi and carried him closer to the court. Truth be told, he wasn’t exactly opposed to getting a close look at Atobe’s match, himself.

He very nearly regretted his decision the moment Atobe stepped onto the court.

Atobe had promised to be even more magnificent than usual, and he certainly delivered. He had the audience wrapped around his little finger from the start, controlling their reactions with the smallest gestures of his fingers. He played up his dramatic persona even more than usual, blowing kisses to the audience and spreading his arms as though to welcome their praise, and for all that it was ridiculous and annoying, Sanada couldn’t help but feel drawn in.

Then Atobe actually started playing in earnest, and Sanada forgot how to breathe.

Atobe playing was always interesting, but Atobe playing his best was utterly breath-taking. Few people could draw out this side of him, this explosive fire of an ultra-offensive player, and while his defensive play was impressive this was on another level altogether. Atobe went all out in this match, not giving Fuji an inch, and as the two genius players clashed Sanada found himself affected in rather surprising ways.

This was ridiculous. He should not have been getting aroused at the sight of Atobe’s tennis, certainly not when he was sitting surrounded by Atobe’s team, his son by his side. He should not have been, and yet here he was, trying to wish down his erection before anyone noticed.

Atobe smirked at Fuji, his eyes sparkling as he cried out in triumph. “Be awed at the sight of my prowess!”

Atobe lifted his hand to snap his fingers, Sanada’s wristband clearly visible on his arm, and it took all of Sanada’s rather considerable willpower not to start squirming.

The match was lengthy, as expected of Atobe, but Keiichi persisted in watching the entire match. One of the Hyoutei players brought him a drink at some point, and Keiichi thanked them politely. Sanada couldn’t help but admire the change in his son, who some months ago wouldn’t have spoken a word to a stranger, never mind doing so with a smile.

Atobe truly was magnificent, in more ways than one.

In the end Atobe triumphed, bringing the championship to Hyoutei, and while Sanada couldn’t quite bring himself to join in on the cheering he did allow himself a smile when Keiichi jumped up to the bench, cheering for his Kei-san. He did hold Keiichi back until Atobe had actually got off the court, worried the boy might rush off to hug Atobe while he was still shaking Fuji’s hand over the net. As it was, Atobe didn’t get his surprise hug until he was almost back to the benches, not that he seemed to mind.

“Good match.” Sanada met Atobe’s eyes with a small smile. “I suppose you were adequate.”

“Oh, please. I was amazing and you know that.” Atobe ruffled Keiichi’s hair, grinning. “I think your good luck charm worked, Kei-chan. Thank you.”

“Yay!” Keiichi beamed up at Atobe. “Kei-san win all!”

“I am the best of all, yes.” Atobe glanced at Sanada, still combing his hand through Keiichi’s unruly curls. “Did you like what you saw?”

Sanada kept his expression carefully schooled. “I told you, it was a good match.”

“I suppose you did.” Atobe leaned closer, so close his breath was warm against Sanada’s ear as he murmured. “I see everything, you know. Including your little, ah, problem.”

Sanada flushed deeply, tugging his cap down over his face. Atobe stepped back, looking like nothing was wrong as he continued chatting with Keiichi. The Hyoutei players were now giving them rather similar looks to those Sanada had already received from his own team, because Atobe was a cruel man who delighted in torturing him.

He was rather hopeful Atobe would make up for his teasing later when they got some privacy, though, so perhaps he could forgive the cruelty just this once.


	6. Epilogue

“Finally asleep, huh?”

“Finally, yes.” Atobe shook his head with a fond smile as he walked into the living room, cradling a cup of tea in his hands. “Took some work, but he’s settled now.”

“It’s an exciting evening.” Sanada chuckled. “You only turn seven once, after all.”

“Indeed.” Atobe sat down on the couch next to him, leaning against Sanada’s shoulder. “I ended up reminding him that the sooner he gets to sleep, the sooner morning’s going to come.”

“Clever.” Sanada reached an arm around Atobe, drawing him closer. “You know he’s going to wake us up at the crack of dawn, right?”

“Of course he is. He’s a disgusting morning person, just like his papa.” Atobe gave him an exaggerated scowl. “I might just end up kicking you out of bed so you can do your morning thing together.”

“Oh, please. Like you’d miss watching him open his presents.” Sanada kissed Atobe’s temple. “I’ll let you get back to bed right after, though.”

“My hero.” Atobe smiled at him behind his tea cup, then sipped at it and groaned. “Damn. I forgot sugar.”

“I’ll get it for you.” Sanada patted his knee, standing up. “You’ve earned some rest, getting our little monster to bed.”

“Hell yes I have.” Atobe chuckled, handing him the cup. “You’re lucky I love you both.”

“Yes, yes, I know.” Sanada made his way to the kitchen, careful not to spill Atobe’s tea. Perhaps he should make himself a cup as well, while he was here.

There was still hot water in the kettle, he noted with satisfaction, setting Atobe’s cup down on the counter and getting out another one for himself. When he reached for the sugar bowl, though, he noticed there was something lying in front of it. Something that looked like a thermometer, but not quite.

Sanada picked up the small stick, bringing it up to take a closer look. There was a small screen on it, with one word on it. ‘Pregnant.’

For a moment, he stared at the stick, then turned around to head back to the living room. Apparently Atobe had followed him, though, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk. “I see you found my sugar.”

“Keigo.” Sanada swallowed, trying to find his voice. “This… is this…”

“Congratulations, Papa.” Atobe grinned. “I haven’t gone to the doctor yet to confirm, but I’ve been given to understand modern tests are pretty reliable.”

“You’re pregnant.” Sanada carefully set the test down on the counter, then walked towards Atobe. “We’re going to have a baby?”

“Apparently so.” Atobe chuckled as Sanada drew him into an embrace. “I take it you’re happy?”

“Oh, Keigo.” Sanada hugged Atobe tight to his chest, trying not to cry. It was a losing battle, but he was trying at least. “I’m happy. I’m so, so happy…”

“As am I.” He could hear the smile in Atobe’s voice. “I hope you’re fine with becoming my third favorite Sanada.”

Now Sanada did cry, clutching Atobe close to himself, but he supposed Atobe wasn’t going to mind.


End file.
